WHEELCHAIR basketball star Jannik Blair is back at home in Horsham as he prepares for a huge year ahead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Blair, 23, will enter the final year of his degree at the University of Alabama in the United States.
He is a member of the university’s wheelchair basketball team and won a national championship in 2013.
The international business student said he was ready for his final year of university, which will start in August.
‘‘I know it’s going to be bittersweet to be finished,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ll get to move onto other exciting things, but it has been a great part of my life.
‘‘I want to make the most of my last year and hopefully win another championship.’’
While Blair is gearing up for a final push for a college title, he also has one eye on the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Blair has been a fixture in the national wheelchair basketball team since breaking into the side as a 17-year-old in 2009.
He competed with the team, known as the Rollers, at the 2012 London Paralympics, winning a gold medal.
Other career highlights include captaining the Australian team to a bronze medal at the 2013 under-23 wheelchair basketball world championships in Turkey and winning a gold medal with the Rollers at last year’s world championships in Korea.
He will have several overseas tournaments this year in the build-up to the Paralympics.
Australia will play at a staging tournament in Brazil to help test the facilities for the Olympics and Paralympics.
In October, Blair and the Rollers will have an Asia-Oceania qualifying tournament in Japan to gain entry to Rio.
Blair said it would be hard managing university and Rollers commitments, but he looked forward to the year ahead.
‘‘I’ll miss a lot of class, but the university has been pretty good at helping me make up for the time I miss,’’ he said.
Before his international commitments start, Blair will play for the Red Dust Heelers in the National Wheelchair Basketball League.
The Heelers aim to get Indigenous athletes involved in sport sport for people with disabilities and promote awareness.
Blair played his first game for the Heelers at the weekend.
He will play another match in Wollongong on Saturday.
